Who Let Them In?: Pathbreaking Women in Sports Journalism

Journalist Lannin (Finding a Way to Play) charts the progress female sports journalists have made over the past 70 years in this brisk and inspiring account. Her profile subjects include Mary Garber, whose coverage of Black high school sports “helped desegregate the sports pages of the [North Carolina] Winston-Salem Journal” in the 1950s and ’60s; Lesley Visser, who “became the story” at the 1980 Cotton Bowl, when University of Houston coach Bill Yeoman ordered her out of the locker room in front of TV cameras; and Suzyn Waldman, a former Broadway singer who has been the color analyst and commentator for New York Yankees radio broadcasts since 2005. Stories of discrimination and harassment from male coaches, players, and fans abound—Waldman, for instance, “received used condoms, toilet paper with feces on it, and vile letters, some of which included death threats” from Yankees fans when she first started covering the team—as do episodes of encouragement and support, such as when California Angels manager John McNamara talked newspaper reporter Lisa Nehus Saxon out of quitting. Lannin also delves into the role that ESPN played in providing more opportunities to women and examines how the #MeToo movement has affected sports. With an appealing roster of profile subjects and a trove of insider details, this is a must-read for young women looking to break into the field. (June)